this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2025
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[–] remon@ani.social 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

What are we talking about?

The fact that you can use air defense systems to shoot down airliners, which I'd argue doesn't exactly count as "defensive" use.

Both patriot missiles and the iron dome are specifically for intercepting missiles

Not really. Patriot is a general anti-air defense system and Iron dome is also designed to intercept artillery shells. Missiles are just the most common things to intercept.

[–] absentbird@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

An artillery shell is a ballistic missile.

A patriot missile can shoot down an airplane, but they have never been used against airliners. I don't think the iron dome has ever even been deployed against aircraft.

[–] remon@ani.social 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

An artillery shell is a ballistic missile.

No, missiles have a motor.

A patriot missile can shoot down an airplane, but they have never been used against airliners. I don’t think the iron dome has ever even been deployed against aircraft.

Not am I aware of, no.

[–] absentbird@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Maybe there's some military specifics I don't understand, but ballistic basically means unguided, and a missile is either a self propelled projectile or a forcibly propelled projectile. Wouldn't that include artillery? Like an arrow can be called a missile, that's where the term comes from.

[–] remon@ani.social 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

A missile has to be self-propelled.

[–] absentbird@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

It can historically refer to any weapon which is shot or propelled towards a target; slings, arrows, magic missile, etc. but I guess that would be confusing with all the modern ordinance in use.

[–] boonhet@sopuli.xyz 1 points 1 month ago

Palestine doesn't exactly have a lot of airliners tbh.